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Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health

Coordinates: 10°40′48″N 79°50′59″E / 10.68000°N 79.84972°E / 10.68000; 79.84972
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Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health
Shrine Basilica Vailankanni
Night view of the basilica facade, facing the eastern side, Bay of Bengal
Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health is located in India
Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health
Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health
10°40′48″N 79°50′59″E / 10.68000°N 79.84972°E / 10.68000; 79.84972
LocationVelankanni, Tamil Nadu
CountryIndia
DenominationCatholic Church in India
Websitehttp://vailankannishrine.net/
History
StatusMinor basilica
DedicationOur Lady of Good Health
Consecrated1962
Architecture
Functional statusActive
Architectural typeGothic
Administration
DioceseTanjore (Thanjavur)
Clergy
ArchbishopFrancis Kalist
Bishop(s)Sagayaraj Thamburaj
RectorRev. Fr. C.Irudayaraj
Priest(s)Arputharaj S, Vice-Rector and parish priest

The Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health, also known as Sanctuary of Our Lady of Velankanni, is a Christian shrine located at the town of Velankanni, Tamil Nadu, India. The shrine is dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The devotion has existed since the mid-sixteenth century, it is attributed to three separate events which occurred at the site: The apparition of the Madonna and Child to a slumbering shepherd boy, the miraculous healing of a handicapped buttermilk vendor and the rescue of Portuguese sailors from a deadly sea storm.

Initially, a modest chapel was built by the Portuguese from Goa and Bombay, soon after they washed ashore safely in spite of a severe tempest. An annual novena is celebrated and draws nearly 5 million pilgrims each year.

Pope John XXIII raised the Marian shrine to the status of a minor basilica via the pontifical decree Salutem Supplicibus Dilargiens, signed & notarised on 3 November 1962. He called the shrine "the Lourdes of the East" due to the massive influx of pilgrims.

History

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Velankani Drav Mata.
Velankanni Maatha: அன்னை, Drav-Tarani Aṉṉai, द्रवतारणी, Star of the Seas

Marian apparitions at Velankanni include three of the Virgin of Velankanni in the 16th century, according to oral lore and popular belief. The third noteworthy incident is the reported miraculous rescue of the Portuguese in Goa and Bombay-Bassein, who were sailing away from a deadly monsoon surge and tempest, in the Bay of Bengal in the late 17th century.[1]

This well/pool is situated where the first apparition had occurred.

The first Marian apparition is said to have occurred in May 1570, when a local shepherd boy was delivering milk to a nearby house. Along the way he met a beautiful woman holding a child, who asked for some milk for the child. After giving her some milk, he continued on under the hot tropical sun, upon finishing his deliveries he found that the jug was still full of fresh and cool milk. A small shrine was built near the site where the boy encountered the woman, a location that came to be called Maatha Kulam, which means "Mother's well" in Tamil language.[2]

Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health

The second Marian apparition is said to have happened in 1597, not far from Maatha Kulam. A beautiful woman with a child in her arms appeared to a crippled boy selling buttermilk. The child asked for a drink of buttermilk. After he drank it, the woman told the boy to visit a gentleman in the next town and ask him to build a chapel in her honour at that location. As the boy set out he realised he had been healed and was no longer lame. A small thatched chapel was built shortly thereafter in honour of "Our Lady of Good Health" or Aarokia Maatha in Tamil.[2]

The third notable incident occurred when a Portuguese ship sailing from Macao to Ceylon (Sri Lanka) was caught in extreme weather in the Bay of Bengal. The terrified sailors invoked the aid of the Virgin Mary under her title Our Lady, Star of the Sea. The raging storm suddenly subsided and the entire crew of 150 on board the ship were saved from capsizing. This happened on 8 September, the feast day of the Nativity of Mary. In thanksgiving the sailors rebuilt the shrine, and continued to visit and donate to the cause of the shrine whenever their voyages brought them to the area.[2]

The shrine that began as a thatched chapel in the mid-sixteenth century and became a parish church in 1771, when Indian Catholics were persecuted in the erstwhile Dutch Coromandel, after the Luso-Dutch war was waged by Dutch Protestants.[3]

In August 2024, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith's Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández confirmed to Bishop Sagayaraj Thamburaj, Pope Francis' approval of the devotion to Our Lady of Good Health at the Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health.[4]

Significance and pilgrimage

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See also: Mannat
The basilica with a flag visible in the background

For Goan and Konkani people, she is called "Shantadurga" (most compassionate one).[5][original research?] This especially includes use of Kotimaram or Dwajasthamba, which has been described as an extended influence of Hinduism on Catholicism, thus making the basilica a meeting point of two of the major religions of the world.[6][7]

The church it is dedicated to Our Lady of Good Health. The Virgin Mary is depicted wearing a sari. The usual times for pilgrimage are during the annual festival between 29 August to 8 September, Holy Week and Christmas.[8] Some pilgrims, instead of using a mode of transport, perform "walking pilgrimages" to it.[9] They attend mass, novenas, flag-hoisting and carry a palanquin of Mary in a procession. A major event is the procession, where only women are allowed to pull the first car and a statue of Mary is in the last and most decorated one. People of other religions also take part.[10] The pilgrims sometimes shave their heads as an offering and perform ear-piercing ceremonies, both being Hindu traditions. Another ritual considered sacred is dipping oneself in the pond. There is a holy flag which is lowered to signal the end of the festival.[11][12]

Due to the number of pilgrim visits during festival season, the Indian Railways introduced special train services to the town of Velankanni.[13]

Architecture

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Layout of the basilica complex: 1. Basilica, 2. Nadu Thittu shrine, site of second apparition, 3. Adoration & Reconciliation chapel, 4. Our Lady's Pond, site of first apparition, 5. Stations of the cross, 6. Mysteries of the Rosary, 7. the Sacraments

The basilica is built in the Gothic style of architecture. The southern side was extended in 1928 and the northern in 1933.[14] The Shrine Basilica contains three chapels, as well as Our Lady's Tank, Church Museum, Priests' Residence, Offering Center, Stations of the Cross, mysteries of the rosary, Shrine Mega Mahal and Vailankanni Beach. The building is painted in white, except for the roof that is made of red tiles.

Annai Velankanni Church
Annai Velankanni Feast 2012

The early part of the 20th century marked rivalry between Jesuits and Franciscans regarding their influence on missionary work in Velankanni. In 1928, the Jesuit Church of the Immaculate Heart of Mary was demolished and the statues were brought to the Shrine of Our Lady of Good Health; in 1933 the shrine was expanded with two new wings, to the right and to the left of the 'Main Altar', meeting the nave at right angles.[15]

A spacious vestry was provided immediately behind the altar. Thus the entire sacred edifice began to assume the shape of a Latin cross. Right over the center of the ancient main altar was the miraculous image of Our Lady of Good Health.[15]

In 1956, a new welcome arch was blessed and opened by Bishop Rajarethinam Arokiasamy Sundaram. The illuminated arch stood to show the way to eager pilgrims who sought the protection of Mary. In January 1961, a new central altar, executed in white marble, replaced the former one made of cement concrete.[14] In 1974–75, an extension of the basilica was built behind the existing central altar to accommodate the multilingual pilgrims. The extension included a two-storied church with 93 feet (28 m) high dome and 82 feet (25 m) high gothic spirals.[15] It was designed to resemble the Basilica in Lourdes, France.[10]

List of parish priests

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The basilica first became a parish in 1771.[3] The list of parish priests (mainly Portuguese) from 1771 until now is as follows:[15]

List of Parish priests of the basilica
S.no Year Month Parish Priest Notes
1 1771 Sep António do Rosário
2 1774 Aug José de Santa Rosa de Viterbo
3 1777 Jul António do Rosário, Commissary
4 1779 Sep Luís dos Remédios
5 1783 Jan António do Rosário, Commissary
6 1788 Dec António de Jesus Maria José
7 1789 Sep António do Rosário, Commissary
8 1792 Sep José de Santa Rosa de Viterbo, Commissary
9 1814 May Constaantino de Jesus Maria, Commissary
10 1819 May Tomás da Piedade
11 1822 Feb Francisco Xavier Mascarenhas
12 1822 Aug Francisco das Dores
13 1824 May Felipe de Jesus
14 1825 Sep Francisco Dos Dores
15 1828 Jun Felipe de Jesus
16 1829 May Clemente das Dores
17 1847 Oct Isidoro Manuel Alemão
18 1858 Apr José Felix Fernandes, AG.PP
19 1863 Nov Felipe de Nery Joaquim Dias
20 1876 May Inácio António de Andrade
21 1886 Aug Miguel Francisco Fernandes
22 1890 Dec Joaquim José, Ag. P. Vic. Nagapattinam
23 1891 Feb Guilherme José Dias
24 1892 Dec Joaquim José Luís, Ag. P. Vic. Nagapattinam
25 1893 Mar Martinho Valeriano de Sá
26 1899 Sep Joaquim Francisco da Piedade Dias
27 1900 Aug Camilo Fernandes
28 1910 Jun Sebastião Xavier de Noronha
29 1942 Sep M. V. Rodrigues
30 1963 Jun S. Maria Soosai
31 1980 Sep Tomás Vaz
32 1982 Sep S. L. Gabriel
33 1990 May M.M. Sammanasu
34 1997 Jun G. Arul Iruthayam
35 2003 Jun P. Xavier
36 2009 Jun A. Michael
37 2015 Jun A.M.A. Prabakar
38 2021 Nov C. Irudayaraj
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  • Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health in Velankanni, Tamil Nadu - entrance
    Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health in Velankanni, Tamil Nadu - entrance
  • Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health in Velankanni, Tamil Nadu
    Basilica of Our Lady of Good Health in Velankanni, Tamil Nadu
  • Velankanni - basilica extension
    Velankanni - basilica extension
  • Velankanni Church pond
    Velankanni Church pond
  • Pilgrims walking on their knees towards the pond
    Pilgrims walking on their knees towards the pond
  • Velankanni - Adoration Center
    Velankanni - Adoration Center
  • Velankanni Basilica
    Velankanni Basilica
  • Velankanni Basilica - a panoramic side view - church and church extension seen at a stretch
    Velankanni Basilica - a panoramic side view - church and church extension seen at a stretch
  • Velankanni Basilica - side left side view
    Velankanni Basilica - side left side view
  • Flag pole at the church
    Flag pole at the church
  • Velankanni Apostalic Brief
    Velankanni apostolic brief
  • Velankanni proclamation Inscription
    Velankanni proclamation Inscription
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The basilica is a recurring setting in the Tamil film Annai Velankanni (1971). It also appears as a minor setting in the Malayalam-Tamil bilingual film Nanpakal Nerathu Mayakkam (2022) and the Malayalam film Pulimada (2023).

See also

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References

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  1. ^ History of the basilica on its home page Archived 3 December 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ a b c Thomas, William. "Our Lady of Health, Velankanni, India", Catholic Voice, 2 August 2009
  3. ^ a b VAILANKANNI – an Overview Archived 2007-09-29 at the Wayback Machine on Tamil Nadu government website
  4. ^ Millare, Kristina (8 August 2024). "Vatican Approves India's Sanctuary of Our Lady of Good Health Ahead of Shrine's Feast Day". National Catholic Register. Retrieved 10 August 2024.
  5. ^ Margaret Meibohm Cultural complexity in South India: Hindu and Catholic in Marian pilgrimage University of Pennsylvania
  6. ^ D Mosse Catholic Saints and the Hindu Village Pantheon in Rural Tamil Nadu, India, Royal Anthropological Institute of Great Britain and Ireland
  7. ^ Corinne G Dempsey, Selva J. Raj Popular Christianity in India: Riting Between the Lines State University of New York press.
  8. ^ "Thousands of pilgrims throng Velankanni for Christmas" news from The Hindu
  9. ^ "More than 20,000 devotees walk to Velankanni ahead of flag-hoisting – Times of India". The Times of India. 29 August 2013. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  10. ^ a b All roads lead to Velankanni on The Hindu news.
  11. ^ Kulkarni, Neha (29 August 2016). "Melting pot: Taking a trip to Velankanni, to find solace in Mother Mary". The Indian Express. Retrieved 5 July 2020.
  12. ^ "Thousands throng Velankanni to take part in the grand car procession". The Hindu. 8 September 2016. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  13. ^ "Special trains for Velankanni festival rush – Times of India". The Times of India. 26 August 2016. Retrieved 13 September 2016.
  14. ^ a b About Velankanni Archived 9 October 2007 at the Wayback Machine on www.velankannichurch.org.
  15. ^ a b c d About Church Archived 2012-11-22 at the Wayback Machine on VelankanniChurch.com
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